A Waiting Game
by lyrical-harmonies
Summary: It is entirely his own fault that the night has gone the way it has. She had laid her hand out in front of him, it was a sure bet, but he chickened out, simple as that. And now she is out on the patio kissing someone else.


**A/N: **Please excuse my new obsession.

* * *

It is entirely his own fault that the night has gone the way it has. She had laid her hand out in front of him, it was a sure bet, but he chickened out, simple as that. And now she is out on the patio kissing someone else. He really doesn't care that that someone else had been her original intention. He has royally screwed this night up, and he has once again concluded that putting yourself out there only gets you hurt. That dance had made him feel so stupid, even if she did love it. The pain and embarrassment wasn't worth that burst of joy he felt when she hugged him. At least, that's what he tells himself.

He is tired- so tired- of playing this game. They'd flirt, she'd find someone, he'd find someone, she'd break it off, and would find someone else before he broke it off. It is a vicious cycle that they are trapped in, and it is his turn now. He can make the same move he always does- find someone else to occupy his time- but this is also his chance to break the cycle. He can wait for her this time. He can wait for them to end- because they will end- and take his chance then. Or he can do something now. He can go out there and sweep her off her feet with his crazy dance moves.

Oh, who is he kidding? She doesn't want him and to be honest, he is a coward anyways. Christina had ruined him- that is a fact. But what he feels for Mindy is so different from what he had felt for Christina and that scares him. If Christina could ruin him, then Mindy has the power to destroy him.

Be it brave or stupid, he still decides that he will wait for her.

* * *

When she breaks up with Cliff- or more accurately, when Cliff breaks up with her- Mindy declares that she is going to take a break from the dating game. Apparently she is inspired by his choice to do so and envies the relaxed state that has accompanied him since he had made the choice. He doesn't warn her that he is lonelier now than he had ever been before. He is just glad that, for the time being, no one else has a claim to her time and energy.

It's a rainy Tuesday night when she waltzes into his office, complaining that single life is not only lonely but a bit boring. Whether it's because of the late hour, or the fact that he had a particularly good day, he feels a little braver than normal tonight. Or maybe he's just tired of waiting when the words escape his lips in the middle of her rant.

"You always have me," he says and she stops.

She replies that she knows and she's grateful, but she can't help but want some spark of romance in her life.

"That's what I meant," he says before filing away the last of his paperwork. She's speechless. He gathers his things and walks out of the room and yells to remind her to turn out the lights before he heads home. He doesn't look back.

He can't decide whether or not he's surprised when she ends up banging down his apartment door at 2 AM later that night.

She's soaked to the bone and he tries to insist that she come in and dry off but she just keeps rambling. She goes on about their friendship and the practice and how they might be ruined and all of the things that make her a horrible person and girlfriend and why he shouldn't want her.

He knows what she's doing. She's trying to get him to change his mind so that the decision doesn't lie with her, and she succeeds, to an extent. He doesn't change his mind- far from it- but he decides for her right then and there. He kisses her, effectively shutting her up, and is overjoyed when she starts kissing him back. It's better than he ever could've imagined.

He's never believed in soul mates and true love and true love's kiss, but after that kiss, he starts to reconsider. He can see himself kissing her like that for the rest of his life and the thought is scary but thrilling. He can imagine the rest of their lives in a way that he never thought he'd be able to after Christina.

They both pull away from the kiss, but instead of separating, he just holds her for a while, not caring that his shirt is soaked through or that the door is still open and they're standing there for all of his neighbors to see. He has her in his arms and for once she's actually his. At least, that's what he assumes. If he's learned anything from her romantic comedies, it's that you don't show up on someone's doorstep at 2 AM just to say no.

They'll talk about it tomorrow- he'll make sure they talk about it tomorrow- but tonight he's tired and happy and for once, he doesn't feel the need to question that.

She changes into a pair of his pajamas and they both lie down in his bed. They don't touch, but they look at each other, both still trying to take everything in. He knows that if they didn't have work tomorrow, they'd probably end up spending the whole night just like that, talking about everything and nothing, but it's late and they do have to work tomorrow and he imagines that there will be many nights in the future where they do just that.

After all, they only have forever ahead of them.


End file.
